The Times They Met
by rockngnome
Summary: A bittersweet romance story about how Astoria came to be Draco Malfoy's beloved one.
1. First Meeting

**This is my first fanfiction story ever!** **I hope you will enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

"Pick up the pace, Astoria! Daphne will be late!"

The Greengrass parents were almost in a panic-stricken state as they urged the younger sibling to catch up. The train was going to leave at eleven and the Greengrass family had just arrived at King's Cross Station. As they rushed through almost every platform in sight, they finally found the right one. Without hesitation, Mr Greengrass made a strong sprint and disappeared into the barrier that separated the wizarding world from the muggle world. Daphne pushed her trunk-filled trolley and ran into Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, followed by the little Astoria and their mother.

As the family reunited on the other side of the barrier, the train let out a choking amount of steam. Students were farewelling their beloved families and rushing onto the train carriages. Children and their parents were rushing around all over the place. It did not take long for Mr Greengrass to notice a nearby duo of familiar faces before his face slowly lit up.

"Lucius! Narcissa! How wonderful to see you!" he greeted.

The couple were heading towards the Greengrasses with the same lightened expressions on their faces. Narcissa walked a slight bit faster than her husband and stretched her arms out to hug her long-time friend.

"Elizabeth! Long time no see!"

Mrs Greengrass was the next to reply. "Narcissa! What brings you to this station?"

Lucius had arrived and gave Demetrius Greengrass a polite handshake before answering the question himself.

"We're here to send our son off to Hogwarts." Lucius answered.

Elizabeth looked almost-surprised by his reply. "Ah, yes! Young Draco Malfoy, how is he?" she asked.

"He is doing great, thank you!" Narcissa said before searching behind her. "Now where is our son-?"

Before she could finish, a young boy appeared by his mother's side. His tall stature, nicely combed blonde hair and pale skin greatly resembled that of his parents. Narcissa gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Draco, this is Mr and Mrs Greengrass. Do you remember them?" Narcissa was met with his shaken head. "I didn't think so, you were so young at the time!" Her attention was distracted onto the girls who stood on either side of Elizabeth.

Demetrius had nearly forgotten about his own children who were staring blankly at the Malfoys. He brought forward his eldest daughter and gave them a brief introduction.

"This is my eldest daughter, Daphne. She will be joining young Draco for her first year." he proudly stated.

Narcissa gave her a warm smile which was quickly returned. All eyes were focused on Daphne, except for Draco's. He however, was the only Malfoy who was paying at least the slightest bit of attention to the short and frightened-looking girl hidden behind Elizabeth. He patiently waited until she looked up to his sight with large, curious eyes.

"What's _your _name?"

Draco's voice brought all of the attention to the prettily shy girl that hid behind her mother. Elizabeth was about to give her a light push forward when the younger Greengrass took one step and faced the tall, pale boy.

"Astoria."

Narcissa looked down at her and smiled like as if she were a five-year-old. She seemed to already adore the young Greengrass. Lucius however, had an interesting yet mysterious expression on his face. His feelings for her were already mixed with curiosity and slight disgust. Although she was just nine going on ten, she looked like the most fragile thing he had ever seen. She certainly wasn't going to get far in life, he thought.

The train horn suddenly blared into everybody's ears, almost hurting them. Time sped and all had to tearfully say goodbye to their beloved families and friends. Mr and Mrs Greengrass embraced their leaving daughter who had grown all too fast as the Malfoys did with their only son. Narcissa gave Draco a soft kiss on his forehead as Astoria finally threw her arms around her older sister who returned the embrace.

"I'll miss you, Tori!" Daphne exclaimed.

"I'll miss you too, Daphne!" Astoria almost sobbingly replied.

Daphne finally let go and excitedly rushed off to the train as her family waved after her. Draco was soon to follow not long before farewelling his family friends.

"Bye, Mr and Mrs Greengrass!"

After they had returned the farewell, his eyes slowly dropped onto Astoria. He smiled at her when her eyes had finally found his.

"Goodbye, Astoria." he said quietly.

As he turned to head towards the almost-departing train, his ears had only just caught the sound of a girl's fragile yet sweet whisper.

"Goodbye, Draco."

**I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter so far! I would like to know your opinions on my story so please review!!**


	2. First Year

**This is the second chapter to my first fanfiction story. Enjoy! (For those of you who may have realise, I deleted the previous version to this chapter and replaced it with a newly edited one.)**

Days had passed since Daphne's absence which had turned into weeks that turned into months. And before anyone had seen it coming, a whole two years had passed.

It was almost the same as the previous two years, except it was now Astoria who arrived at the platform in extreme excitement. Daphne had sent dozens of wonderful letters before, describing the wondrously enormous castle that could house hundreds of students and capable staff members. She had also mentioned the many friends she had made and the many enemies she shunned, such as the famous Harry Potter and his two mischievous companions.

The Greengrass family rushed around Diagon Alley and purchased all of Astoria's needed supplies. Lucius Malfoy was still noticing her as a pathetically fragile girl who needed more than protection for her survival. Luckily his wife still adored her like a daughter and made her an invisibility bracelet (she took Astoria's bracelet and placed a protective charm on it), so whenever the young Greengrass was in a moment of trouble, all she had to do was clap her hand against the jewel and she would disappear before another's eyes.

After an all-too-brief farewell to their parents, Daphne had abandoned her sister to sit with her numerous friends including Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bullstrode and Tracey Davis. Every single carriage on the train was already filled with equally excited students. Astoria was left on her own and felt painfully shy enough to not ask for a seat. The train hadn't even moved yet and she was still left standing in the hallway all by herself. Her insecure emotions had not helped when she felt a sharp pain bounce off the back of her head.

"Ouch!" Astoria turned around abruptly and gave an inaudible whimper.

Just a few feet away from where she was standing stood two towering figures, bursting out in sadistic cackles. The overly plump boy took another step towards her and threw a round object in her direction. As the ball-like object hit her, a brown smudge appeared on her clothes followed by a putrid stench that filled the carriage. The dungbomb attack was enough to bring tears to Astoria's eyes, though they immediately faded when she noticed a wand pointed out from behind the two bullies.

"Scourgify!"

The brown smudge on her coat almost out into bubbles and slowly faded away as Astoria watched in curiosity. Once the stain and the smell had disappeared she looked up to know who her saviour was. Draco roughly pushed past his two fellow Slytherins and faced them as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"What in Merlin's name are you two doing?!" a furious Draco exclaimed.

The two boys hesitated for a few seconds. "She's a first-year!" they both said in unison.

Draco looked even more frustrated by this. "Don't you know who this is?!" His voice grew louder by the moment. "Crabbe! Goyle! This is Miss Greengrass! Don't tell me that you don't know one when you see one!"

The duo formed a sudden look of realisation on their faces. The Greengrasses were one of the wealthiest pure-blood families aside from the Malfoys. Disrespecting the youngest Greengrass was the last thing they would have done if they had known. Crabbe and Goyle left the carriage without Malfoy's command and ignored the numerous stares that were pressed against the nearby compartment windows.

Draco let out a loud sigh and marched towards his compartment on the far end of the train. Not long before he shut the door, Astoria sought the courage to speak.

"Thanks, Draco."

She looked a bit disappointed in herself when she thought that he had not heard her. But Draco had heard her alright, and smiled to himself as he sat down with his friends. Astoria was still staring dreamily after him and suddenly jumped when a hand tapped her on the arm.

"Tallulah Nott," the girl said, extending her hand. "Are you alright?"

Astoria did not hesitate to shake her hand. "Y-yes! Astoria Greengrass."

The brunette gave her a warm smile. "Come sit with us, Astoria. We have plenty of room in our compartment."

She led Astoria further down the carriage and slid the door open to reveal three other students. They all glanced up at Tallulah and immediately focused their attention on the stranger at the door.

"Everybody, this is Astoria." Tallulah introduced, then pointed at the strawberry-blonde haired girl. "That's Anna."

The girl gave a short grin and waved at Astoria. "Hey, Tori! You don't mind if I call you Tori, do you?"

"Oh, no that's fine!" Astoria assured. "Besides, that's what my family calls me."

Tallulah then gestured at the two boys who sat across from Anna. "That's Claude," she directed at the chocolate-brown haired boy and then to the black haired boy. "And that's Malcolm."

Although she didn't show it, Astoria was more than delighted to sit with her newly made friends. Asides from her sister, she never had any true friends prior to her arrival on the Hogwarts Express.

**I'm so sorry this chapter is so poorly written, I had a writer's block! Like this chapter? Please review! Hate this chapter? Feel free to say so on the reviews!**


	3. Werewolves and Hippogriffs

Daphne was right about everything she had mentioned in her letters. There was not a single day when Astoria did not learn something new as the school continued to amaze her with its magic and its mysteries. She and Tallulah constantly became lost around the castle during their first week, but luckily the professors were already used to having first-years wandering around the hallways in bewilderment.

Although the shy and fragile personality was still lingering inside her, Astoria was starting to know her strengths. She had only just realised her capability of excelling in charms and flying. Before her first flying lesson, she had never expected herself to conquer her fear of heights and soar around the Quidditch pitch in relaxation. And by the time her second charms lesson had started, she had learnt how to cast the hover charm without any difficulty.

Like most of the girls in her house, she was still crushing on a certain Draco Malfoy. Being one of the wealthiest and most handsome boys at the school, Astoria could never help but hide her blush whenever she caught sight of him. Although just recently, her infatuation was starting to fade away. It was too often that she caught him picking on younger or weaker students just for the fun of it. He just wasn't the Draco Malfoy that she had met at the train station. And more importantly, Pansy Parkinson was skipping around the school telling every second person about her new relationship with Draco, much to Astoria's disappointment.

She had been at Hogwarts for at least a few weeks at this point when she had her first free period with her fellow classmates. Seeing that Professor Lupin was not able to teach for that particular day, the first-years were instead studying in the great hall. Astoria and her four friends were seated at the end of the Slytherin table, discussing the professor's odd absence.

"Since when would a teacher miss one of their lessons?" Anna asked in a surprised manner.

Claude was quick to reply. "Since now! I mean, come on Anne! It's perfectly fine for a teacher to be sick for a day or two!"

"But the professors _never_ get sick here at Hogwarts!" she emphasised. "Even _you_ should know that!"

Astoria lifted her eyes off her Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook and faced her conversing friends.

"Daphne told me something a little while ago."

All four friends slowly turned their heads to stare at the petite flaxen haired girl.

"What'd she tell you?" Malcolm asked curiously.

Astoria paused and gave out a quiet sigh. "She told me that Professor Lupin gets sick every month, like there are certain days when he can't teach because of it."

Most of the group gave short shrugs of understanding, but nobody noticed Malcolm's thoughtful expression. Before they could refocus on their studies, he finally found the right words to say.

"I've got a theory." It was his turn to gain every one of their attentions.

"He disappears once a month, doesn't he Tori?" she nodded slowly at this. "This may sound pretty crazy but... I think he might be a werewolf."

All four of the attentive group members burst out into laughter, attracting the attention of their nearby classmates who were jolted from their studies. Professor McGonagall stood nearby, not looking too impressed with the amount of noise they made.

"Can you five please, quiet down?" she commanded.

The noise gradually died down much to McGonagall's relief. However this was only short-lasting as she peered out of the door and gave out a loud gasp.

The students abruptly looked up at her and were quick to follow her gaze as she rushed out of the hall. It was all too tempting for the first-years as every single one of them rose from their seats and followed her out to see what the huge shock was. Tallulah and Astoria were one of the quickest to rush out through the doors to view a horrific sight.

Hagrid stood there, obviously in shock as he held something in his arms. None of the students could recognise what he was holding, but Minerva flinched at the sight of it. Astoria wondered what the big fuss was about until the professor opened her mouth to speak.

"My goodness, Hagrid! What happened to him?" she exclaimed.

Hagrid stammered, "H-h-he...my Hippogriff-!"

"Never mind that!" McGonagall quickly half-shouted. "Take him up to the hospital wing! Now!"

It did not take long for Astoria to realise that she was referring to a student. Without hesitation, she looked at what was being carried by the groundskeeper. Just before Hagrid disappeared through the corner she recognised that to her shock, he was carrying Draco Malfoy.

She immediately flinched at this sight. To her eyes, he was almost unrecognisable. So much blood had stained his cloak and his pained expressions made him look like a completely different person. Right before he disappeared from the hallway, Astoria could have sworn that he caught a momentary glimpse of her. Or at least that was what she had hoped she saw.

Tallulah was half-panicking and was violently tugging on her best friend's sleeve, snapping the girl out of her dreamy thoughts.

"What?!" Astoria was slightly annoyed by this.

Tallulah stopped her actions but her expression still lingered. "Did you see that? There was a HUGE slash on his arm!"

Astoria paled, she had not seen the gore on Draco's right arm. This was definitely not an ordinary classroom accident, it was too obvious that he had been attacked.

Malcolm pushed through the crowd and suddenly appeared next to Tallulah who was then met with her violent tugs.

"My gosh! You were right, Malcolm! You were right!"

He stood in a confused yet slightly frightened daze. "What are you on about, T?"

"There's a werewolf in this school!" she shouted.

It was finally Malcolm's turn to laugh.


	4. Three Years Later

**I apologise for for the long wait, I have been more than busy lately and I had a few more writer blocks during that time. But anyway without further ado, enjoy this chapter!**

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News had spread all too fast about Buckbeak's vicious attack on Malfoy, and not surprisingly it made the front page on the Daily Prophet. Even the Quibbler contained a short interview with Lucius Malfoy who unhesitatingly expressed his fury towards the incident.

Until his arm had completely healed, the only words that came out of Draco's mouth were complaints towards Hagrid, Care of Magical Creatures and the fact that he wasn't able to write. Including Astoria, there was not a single student in the school who was not annoyed by his ongoing whines. She still had some sort of hint of infatuation towards the Malfoy, but mostly she was irritated by his sudden changes of personality; for one minute he appeared to be decent and the next minute he acted like a selfish tyrant.

Since that gruesome incident, Astoria only caught the slightest glimpses of Draco walking around the school with his two minions. When Crabbe and Goyle weren't accompanying him, she would find a certain Miss Parkinson clutching onto his arm and sneering at every girl who looked at her boyfriend. Although strangely enough, Draco never showed obvious signs of affection towards Pansy, arousing Astoria's curiosity.

Almost nothing had changed until her fourth year at Hogwarts. She was never going to have him, she often thought to herself. That was just about enough for her to date her long-time friend Malcolm.

Malcolm loved Astoria and was not afraid to show it to the world, but Astoria was only on the verge of loving him. She didn't mind it when he hugged her and kissed her but in her heart, she felt no passion whatsoever and this was driving to her guilt. She had a loving boyfriend, terrific school marks, caring friends and family members and she was trying to accept that they were all that mattered.

One night a few months after they had begun dating, Malcolm had planned a secret date with Astoria in the Room of Requirement. The plan was for them to sneak out of their dormitories and evade the prefects whom were watching the corridors while they made their way to the room.

When Astoria was sure that her room-mates were fast asleep, she slowly and silently climbed out of her bed. She whispered the Silencing Charm at her creaky dormitory door and tiptoed her way to the entrance of the common room where her boyfriend was waiting patiently for her arrival.

Malcolm greeted her with a soft touch on her hand. "You certainly took your time, Tori! Were you about to fall asleep in your bed?" he whispered.

"Nearly," she giggled. "Let's go!"

Still grabbing onto her hand, Malcolm led the way out of the common room and onto the corridor. A handful of staff members and prefects were seen gliding through the hallways and out of sight. As the couple walked, they often succumbed to their cautiousness and hid behind walls whenever they heard footsteps or saw passing shadows. When they were sure that nobody was nearby, they rushed past the sleeping painting whom were nearly awakened by their running footsteps.

"Can we slow down a bit, Mal?" Astoria panted, "We'll wake the paintings!"

Malcolm turned his head but continued running. "No, we won't! Besides, they're not gonna turn us in if they do!" he said quickly.

"And plus my feet hurt!" Astoria added.

"It's alright, Tori! We're nearly there-!"

Before he could finish, Malcolm roughly pulled Astoria and pressed the both of them against the castle walls. He immediately placed his palm over her mouth before she could react to his sudden actions. Their breathings slowed dramatically and their eyes widened as they caught sight of Professor McGonagall sauntering down the hallway. They froze for what seemed like a minute or two before she finally disappeared through the library doors.

"Thank goodness!" Malcolm sighed, releasing Astoria's tightly covered mouth allowing her to breathe.

Again taking her hand, she headed down discreetly and eventually reached a certain wall further down the corridor. The couple stood for a few moments, waiting for a door to slowly appear. But it didn't. Eventually, confusion had hit Malcolm.

"Why isn't the door there?" he frantically patted the wall for a sign of magical happenings.

Astoria was certainly as confused as he was. "Are you sure that this is the right place?"

"Yes, it is."

The couple jumped in terror and whipped around faster than a golden snitch. They had not heard a single sound, and yet a certain wealthy, blonde prefect was standing just feet away from them with an unharmed expression on his face.

"What in Slytherin's name are _you_ doing here, Malfoy?!" Malcolm asked quickly in a panic-stricken tone.

"I was about to ask you the same thing, _Sanford_!" Malfoy added in a frustrated yet strict manner.

"Well...the-the thing is th-that-! Uh-I-I mean-!"

"Stop your stammers, Sanford! I think that I would appreciate it if you headed up to your dormitory this instant! Besides, I'd rather stay here all night than hear your _s-st-stutters_!" he mocked.

"Don't mock him, Malfoy!"

Astoria raised her hand to cover her mouth in sudden realisation, but then chose to drop it by her side. She was just as surprised as Draco as she had never spoken to him like that before. She simply froze on the spot and dropped her glare into a slightly frightened look. Coincidentally, Draco had a similar expression before he turned and gestured towards Malcolm.

"You, off to bed! I want to have a word with Miss Greengrass."

Malcolm did not hesitate and rushed back to the common room, only looking back once at his girlfriend before vanishing around the corner. Draco's blue eyes slowly turned to Astoria, but he did not say a word. Astoria was staring at the ground, too shy to look up at him for an unknown reason. The dead silence finally drove Malfoy to break it.

"Tell me, Astoria; what were you and Sanford doing wandering around the castle at night?"

She slowly lifted her eyes and faced him, but still did not say anything. So many useless excuses to tell a prefect were rushing through her head and she felt like as if her vocal chords had tied themselves into a knot, refraining her voice to be released. Draco somehow felt her bewilderment and softened his eyes.

"I just want you to be honest with me," he said softly.

After a brief moment, she sighed. "We planned a date night in the Room of Requirement," she answered, "That's all I can say."

She peered down on the ground again, though Draco refused to break eye contact with her face. A thought gradually came to Astoria's mind and she cautiously glanced back up in his eyes.

"You already knew, didn't you?" she was greeted by his unchanged stare. "Didn't you?!" she asked a second time, only louder. When he still did not answer, she found the courage to speak out against him.

"If we had swapped places in another life, I wouldn't give a damn if I heard about you planning to snog Pansy Parkinson in a secret room! I probably would have left you in peace rather than sneak around to invade someone's personal life! And also, I've always been afraid to say this, but I'm not afraid anymore! You're a monster and I wish you a _horrible life_!"

She had never seen him look so shocked yet amazed at the same time. It took a lot of control for her to not smile at this discovery, so she turned on her shoes and stormed down the hallway with a concerned stare following her back. When she had turned a corner, she felt strange to find herself on the verge of tearing. Wiping her eyes, she dismissed it and rushed towards the common room.

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**Review, review, review! Oi, oi, oi! (Don't mind the Aussie patriotism, just express your opinions on the link below!)**


	5. True Slytherin

**This is probably the longest chapter I've written so far. (I know...I need to learn how to write longer chapters.)**

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Two whole months fled like birds being chased by dragons and things seemed to still be the same as always. Draco and Astoria still noticed each other across rooms, corridors and outdoor areas but it was always Astoria who would look away and walk in the opposite direction. She did not regret saying those last words to his face, and yet she felt horrible for those actions. She was always comforted by her boyfriend at her side, and she made sure that Malcolm would never find out about her true feelings for Malfoy. Things were going far too well for the couple to suddenly quarrel and go their separate ways.

Astoria was content when she went to bed one night. All of the lamps had been turned off and her room-mates had already drifted off to sleep, but her eyes were still wide open, staring at the ceiling. A certain memory had entered her mind and refused to exit; the night when she was sorted into Slytherin.

"_Greengrass, eh?"_ the Sorting Hat bellowed that night, _"This one may not have much in her shoes right now, but I've a feeling that ambition will lead to her greatness. SLYTHERIN!"_

The little girl who had just been sorted had no clear ambition at the time; all she wanted to do was do well with her school work, although it did not necessarily mean topping all of her subjects. Many had asked her about what she wished to do after her education at Hogwarts only to meet with an uncertain reply. Much to her family's dismay, Astoria had chosen Muggle Studies as one of her electives. Their disappointment died down when she lied about taking the subject for the sake of ridiculing the Muggle society. But in truth, she was wondrously fascinated when it came to learning about muggles, for there was never a lesson when her eyes were not wide open due to interest. It was no wonder that she had topped the most recent Muggle Studies exam that term. Professor Burbage was more than impressed with her students' results that she rewarded them with a relaxing lesson of listening to muggle music.

Most of the students were feeling rather relaxed during that lesson almost on the point of falling asleep. Astoria listened attentively to each of the songs that had been played, yet there was one song that would stay in her mind for a long time to come. After leaving the classroom, she had memorised the lyrics and was discreetly humming the tune to herself. She was often on the lookout for people who might catch her humming a muggle song.

That night, the moon was full and without Astoria and Malcolm sitting cosily on the sofa, the common room was just about empty. Malcolm had his arm positioned around his girlfriend's shoulders in the midst of their conversation. They had a discussion about their future before, only this time Astoria was the first to start it.

"Malcolm, what do you plan to do after Hogwarts?"

He stared towards the burning fireplace and let out a sigh. "I'm thinking of opening up a shop of my own. I don't really know what I'd sell, but I think it would be great if I opened it at Hogsmeade."

Astoria glanced up in his eyes. "That _would_ be great!"

It was Malcolm's turn to ask the question. "What about you, Tori? What are you going to do?"

"Dunno." she said simply.

"Oh, come on, Tori!" he urged, "There must be something you would love to do after all this!"

She joined him in staring at the fiery flames burning against the fireplace. She did not know what to say without making him laugh at her. This time she knew that keeping quiet was not the answer the his question.

"Well, Tori?"

She could tell that his eyes were fixed on her like as if he was petrified. She paused for another moment before screwing her courage to speak.

"I don't know." she said.

Malcolm tried to hide his look of disappointment and slightly shifted on the couch. He knew that she received terrific grades in the majority of her subjects, but he found it odd that she had no clear ambition. It was then a sudden thought came to mind.

"I know what you should do!" he commented. "You should work for the Ministry!"

A disgusted cringe immediately etched on Astoria's face. "Eurgh!" Malcolm was concerned at her reply.

"You don't wanna work at the Ministry?"

"No way!" Astoria exclaimed. "It just sounds too...tedious. And demanding!" she added.

"Hmm..." Malcolm sighed. "You know what, I'm tired. I think I'll go to bed."

As he slowly rose from his seat, Astoria remained on the couch.

"I think I'll stay here for a bit." she said.

Malcolm turned his head while he headed off. "Alright. Goodnight, then."

"'Night, Mal."

"Love you, Tori!"

She did not respond as he crept quietly into his dormitory and cautiously shut the door behind him. She was left in the common room all by herself, sinking deeper into the sofa by the passing minutes. Her heart sank as she thought her dreams would be forever shattered, and the fact that her own boyfriend did not believe in her made her feel useless. Solemnly sitting up and believing that nobody was around, she took a deep breath and sang.

"_I have my wealth_

_I have my knowledge_

_And I have a boy who loves me_

_I have my magic_

_But why,_

_Why don't I have happiness?_

_My friends by my arms_

_My family's support_

_What more could I want?_

_I should be grateful_

_But I need,_

_Need you to see who I am..."_

She could not put her finger on it, but singing somehow made her feel better physically and emotionally. It was almost like emptying all of her sorrows from inside her and out into the open air. Letting out another relieved sigh, she calmly sank into the sofa again, unaware of someone's presence just yards behind her.

"Interesting."

Astoria let out a sudden gasp and spun around as she leapt from the couch. Her heart was pounding dangerously fast as she noticed the certain figure standing straight. It did not take her long to realise that she had stopped breathing due to the fright she received. The figure took one step forward and revealed himself in the glaring moonlight.

"I did not mean to scare you, Miss Greengrass." Draco said calmly.

With her panting breath and her unsteady heartbeat, Astoria asked, "How long have you been standing there?"

"About a minute before your boyfriend left."

Astoria let out a sigh followed by a look of curiosity. "Have you been following me?" Her frustration arose when Draco did not answer her question. "Answer me!"

He paused. "No, I have not."

"You're lying." Astoria said quietly.

"I'm not lying, Miss Greengrass."

Astoria continued to blankly stare at him. There was no point in arguing back, she thought, he would continue to deny her statements. As her eyes were still on Draco, he turned to his left and slowly walked towards the window, the moon shining upon him. The brightness adding to his details made him look even more pale and mysterious. He took a deep, yet inaudible breath and turned his head to face Astoria.

"You would make a wonderful singer, Miss Greengrass."

She did not know how to reply to that. "I would?" she managed.

Draco stared out the window again. "I have heard pleasant voices echoing through the corridors, but none of them can compare to yours."

She could not believe what he was saying. "_Thank you?_" she whispered uncertainly.

"I know now..." Draco trailed off.

"Know what?"

"I know why the Sorting Hat placed you into Slytherin." he answered.

Astoria was still confused by this. Before she could ask, Draco turned his head again. "It is late. You must be tired."

"Yes," she lied. She did not feel even the tiniest bit of exhaustion. Without hesitation she walked towards the spiral stairs that led to her room. "Goodnight, Draco."

"Goodnight, Miss Greengrass." he said, not looking at her.

She stopped just as she was about to step on the stairs. She paused for a few moments then finally turned back at the prefect.

"About last time, I did not mean to say those things to you."

She paused again waiting for his response. She felt frustrated yet anxious every time he hesitated for an answer. Believing that she was not going to receive an answer, she was on the verge of moving up the stairs until her ears caught his whisper.

"I know, Miss Greengrass."

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**What did you think of that, eh? Review me!**


	6. Lost and Found

**The sixth chapter has finally been finished! Sorry for such a long wait!**

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Not even attempting to fight, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy rushed through the crowd, screaming for any sign of their son. Every spell that flew past their heads were ignored and every person that stood in their way were disregarded. They were no longer on the Dark Lord's side, all that mattered to them now was Draco's safety. Opponents were relieved as they realised that they did not have to fight the Malfoys, who were more than capable of firing dangerous curses in a duel. Other faces were half-curious and half-shocked to see Lucius look frightened instead of holding a stern expression like he usually did.

"Draco!"

Not even the young Malfoy knew the sound of his father screaming out his name. Although he had often sent gifts, Lucius always seemed so cold around his son and rarely spent any actual time with him. There were times when Draco believed that he was a disappointment to him, but the concerned shout was more than enough to convince him of his father's love for him.

Whipping around, Draco answered back, "Father!"

Lucius stopped followed by his wife. He had only just heard Draco's voice, but where it came from he did not know. Before Narcissa could ask, Lucius was already frantically searching left to right then behind him.

"Where are you, Draco?!" he bellowed.

Narcissa was also frantically spinning herself around for any sign of him. Her eyes suddenly widened as she saw her dear boy running towards them. Trying to hold back thankful tears, she called to her husband.

"He's alive, Lucius! He's alive!" He spun around just in time to see Narcissa throw her arms around their son. Without hesitation, Lucius walked and hugged the two of the most dearest things to him.

"I'm so glad you're fine, son." Lucius whispered.

Daphne tore through the crowd, the wind gushing through her face. All of the evacuees were surrounding the grassy plains that spread beyond the entrance of the school. Although many of the students were feeling eerie about the battle, Daphne was hysterical. She had not seen her younger sister since hours prior to the battle.

"Tori!" she searched within her sights then approached a group of Ravenclaw girls. "Excuse me, have you seen my sister, Astoria?"

Being Ravenclaws, they looked disgusted to see a Slytherin standing near them. Daphne was quick to notice their hostility towards her.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, but I haven't seen my sister and I think she might be-!" she cut off, not wanting to go any further. The girls' frowns soon turned into looks of sympathy and concern.

"What does she look like?" the tall brunette girl asked.

"She is about an inch or two shorter than me," Daphne described, "She has long blonde hair like mine, pale skin, blue eyes and she has a silver chain around her neck."

Before the brunette could answer, a blemish-faced girl stood forward beside her. She appeared to be just as worried as Daphne was.

"I haven't seen your sister," she reached into her pocket and pulled out a chain, "but I found this back at the castle just minutes ago."

Daphne inspected the silver chain she was holding. Her face paled more than ever as her shocked eyes glued to the jewel as if it were about to explode.

"I-is it hers?" the girl asked.

Daphne reached and took the chain slowly. "It is." she confirmed. Shaking her head in bewilderment, she rushed out of everybody's sights into the open field. She ran like as if she was running out of time, only to come to a sudden halt. There was nowhere else to run, she thought. As she stared out into the wood in front of her, she collapsed to her knees and wept. Astoria's disappearance was only part of the reason, the other part was that for once in her life, she did not know what to do. If her sister was dead, there would be nobody who would look up to her like a role model, nor will there be any good company back at the Greengrass house.

She knelt on the soft grass for at least half an hour now, although her loud sobs had turned into almost-silent whimpers. Daphne did not care about her surroundings at this point, she even mentally dismissed the fact that there was a war going on. Her hands were still cupping her face, restricting her vision to absolute darkness. Behind her began the sound of cheers, followed by the sound of crowded footsteps rushing out of the castle. Somehow, Daphne was already aware that the war was over, but she did not care about the result. Her awareness snapped back into reality as somebody called out her name in the distance.

"Daphne!" she slowly released her face from her hands and turned around instantly. A woman was running towards her in the distance, leading two other shadowed figures.

"M-Mrs Malfoy!" Daphne called, finally standing up tall.

Lucius and Draco stopped in front of her whereas Narcissa put a hand on her shoulder. "I have contacted your parents, Daphne. They are worried sick about your safety! Thank goodness I found you!"

Narcissa was about to continue, but Draco looked frantically around him as if he was trying to find something.

"Where's your sister?" he was not meant to sound concerned, but it came out like so.

Daphne's voice cracked, "I don't know...I don't know!"

The two men searched within their sights while Narcissa drew out her wand and notified Demetrius and Elizabeth of their elder daughter's safety. Narcissa did whatever she could to comfort a shaken Daphne who was close to hysterics. Draco was about to turn back to the women until he just caught a glimpse of shiny blonde hair flying around the crowd. Without thinking, he let out the loudest yell he had ever summoned.

"ASTORIA!"

The figure whipped around in a sudden motion. Her eyes had found Draco's and she slowly walked in the trio's direction. Again, Draco did not think and sprinted towards her, not realising the visibility of his relieved yet laughing expression. As he neared her, his intent of throwing his arms around her and his facial look suddenly withdrew and the two stopped in front of each other. They stilled and stared at each other, not knowing what to do next. Draco noticed that she was shaking and shivering from the freezing gust of wind.

"You're cold." he stated, then like a gentleman, he pulled off his coat and wrapped it around her.

Astoria looked up at Draco and gave him a warm smile. "Thank you."

They both looked up to find the Malfoy couple next to them and Daphne clasping to her sister in a strong embrace.

"My goodness...you're alive!" she laughed, happy tears streaming down her face.

When Daphne released her, Lucius inspected the younger Greengrass. She had changed. She was definitely not the small, fragile girl from the train station. Back then, she was at least half her sister's height; she was now about one or two inches shorter than Daphne. Astoria no longer looked like a weak animal; she had grown into a healthy and beautiful young woman. For once, Lucius no longer disgusted her as she finally seemed to be worthy of the Greengrass name.

"It's good to see you again, Miss Greengrass." he finally said.

Astoria replied, "You too, sir."

Daphne wiped her face but still looked shocked. "What happened to you? Where were you? I was looking for you everywhere!" she said quickly and breathlessly.

"Really?" Astoria responded, "I was looking for you too!"

Surprise and bemusement swept towards Daphne. "So...nothing happened to you?"

"No," Astoria replied, "but I lost my necklace during the evacuatio-!" Daphne pulled out the chain and handed it to her, much to her astonishment.

"You must have dropped it." she said.

Whilst Astoria adjusted the chain to her neck, Narcissa broke the silence.

"Your parents wished us to take you girls home."

With that simple statement, the sisters looked at each other then back at Narcissa and gave a light nod.

* * *

**My apologies for the long wait, I had to study and prepare for my exam trials! I am still exhausted from finishing off my last trial! Please review on the link below.**


	7. Grown Up

**I've just finished the sixth chapter and for once I won't leave writing the next chapter to the last minute. If this entire story has not finished by November, chances are that I'll be preparing for my upcoming exams. Thanks guys and I really appreciate your patience!**

* * *

The graduation came by as expected, yet Astoria's examination results took everyone even herself by surprise. Her achievements that consisted mostly of Exceeds Expectations did not go by unnoticed with her fellow students and staff members. She received Acceptable grades for Potions and Divination, but she did not mind as she disliked those particular subjects anyway. There were no obvious surprises when she found an 'O' written next to her Muggle Studies results.

Days before her year's graduation, Malcolm broke off their relationship on good terms. He did not provide a very detailed reason but Astoria knew well enough to keep silent or break their friendship as well. The only explanation she could come up with was that they were starting to act more like friends than an actual loving couple.

"_We're better off as friends."_ he simply said, not going any further.

Astoria sent even more surprises when she moved out of her parents' home just two days after her graduation, leaving her sister secretly humiliated with herself as she remained living in the Greengrass household. She found cheap, yet comfortable hospitality in a small flat in London. What she loved most about her new home was the balcony just outside her bedroom; it overlooked the majority of the city and the sight was even more beautiful to take in during her lonely evenings.

One week had already passed since her first visit to the balcony and she was rushing in her heels across a rainy evening in London. Visibly frustrated with herself, she wondered why she did not bother to bring an umbrella and the leather purse she held over her head was not helping her at all. The rain suddenly picked up and was throwing itself down below where Astoria let out yet another irritated groan. Had she known it was going to rain that evening she would not have chosen her high-heeled shoes to wear as it interfered with her running. As she neared her destination, her heel slipped on the wet path and she fell onto her side and rolled onto her stomach.

"Great!" she shouted and hit the side of her fist onto the ground. She had just bought that coat and now the moisture that formed on the fabric clung onto her now cold skin. Breathing out a loud sigh, her emotions left her and she let the heavy rain pour down on her. When she closed her eyes, she no longer felt the rain sinking into her. To her confusion, she opened her eyes and looked up to find a young man holding an umbrella over her.

Offering his hand, Draco asked, "Are you alright, Miss Greengrass?"

Still staring at his face, she took his hand and he helped lift her to her feet. "Yeah. Thanks, Draco." she looked down at her clothes and attempted to squeeze them dry with her hands.

With his free hand, Draco pulled out his wand. "Allow me." he said and Astoria froze. He muttered an almost-indecipherable spell and pointed his wand at her. A warming sensation flowed through her entire body and her clothes dried up instantly. Smoothing the fabric on her coat, she was satisfied that even the clothes had warmed as well as her body.

"Thank you, Draco."

"You're very welcome, Miss Greengrass."

"Oh, please," Astoria said politely, "call me Astoria. I mean, I don't call you Mr Malfoy. O-or you could call me Tori if you like."

"Hmm..." Draco thought about it like as if her first name was foreign to him. "I've always liked the sound of your name."

She smiled and nearly noticed the slight twitch that had appeared on Draco's mouth. Still holding the black umbrella over their heads, he pushed his wand back into his pocket. He squinted upon realising a certain difference in Astoria.

"Last time I remembered, you had straight hair."

Astoria patted her blonde locks and nodded. "Yes, I've been practising a hair-waving charm recently." She nervously looked away from Draco's face and absent-mindedly asked "What do you think?

"It's lovely." he replied truthfully and gave a brief pause. "So, where are you headed off to?"

"The Leaky Cauldron," Astoria said. "I could use some elf-made wine right now."

"Would you like me to walk you there?" Draco's question had caught her by astonishment. "I think I might buy myself some Firewhiskey."

Astoria shrugged. "Okay!"

Draco held out his hand in front of her and she innocently took it. The umbrella sheltered them both from the peltering rain as they both ambled across the stone path. Even though the drying charm's warmth was beginning to wear off, holding Draco's hand was enough for Astoria to stay warm as she was unknowingly forming a blush on her cheeks. When they finally stood at the pub's entrance, like a gentleman, Draco slowly swung open the door and politely guided her in while he followed and closed the door behind him.

The Leaky Cauldron was less crowded than usual which surprised even the employees whom were humming to themselves. Tom was wiping the bar counter as usual when Draco approached and leaned his arm on the counter's edge. He patiently waited for the landlord's attention which eventually came.

"Mr Malfoy." he acknowledged him in a voice of hidden disdain. "How may I be of assistance, sir?"

"Well," Draco began. "I would like a glass of Firewhiskey and a glass of elf-made wine for this fine, young woman." he gestured to Astoria.

She took a few steps towards him in a look of modesty. "Oh, you don't have to, I can pay for myself-"

"It's no trouble, Astoria." his lips formed into the first genuine smile she had ever seen. In fact, she was not even sure if whether or not anybody had seen him smile. It was beautiful, she thought. Why couldn't he pull out a nice grin every now and then?

She suddenly shook those dreamy thoughts out of her head and looked up at the patient young man. "Okay..." she said, dumbstruck.

After handing him a handful of sickles, Tom immediately pulled out two glasses of the ordered drinks and handed them to Draco. He looked at Astoria and jerked his head towards the table beside the nearby window where she sat down on one of the stools. Draco carried the two glasses and placed them onto the wooden table. Astoria thanked him and took a small sip from the shiny wine glass whereas Draco practically threw down his Firewhiskey. After letting out a sigh, he started a conversation.

"How has life been treating you?"

"Fine. How is your job at the Ministry?"

Draco shrugged. "Not bad at the moment. Well at least I can't complain." he took another sip of his drink. "If I'm not mistaken, I saw you performing with the choir down at Hogsmeade."

Astoria blushed. "Yes, that's true." she said modestly.

He was about to ask her further about her singing ambition, but then restrained himself. He watched her take another gentle sip at her wine and straightened his back.

"Listen, Astoria," he began. "Would you like to go out sometime?"

Although she showed no emotion, Astoria was more surprised than she ever was before. Draco, she thought, was asking her out! She did not know where to begin.

"Are things not working out between you and Pansy?" she cringed every time she said that girl's name as the image of a pug always appeared in her mind.

"No."

Her mouth twitched and she stared into her drink like as if there was a portal beneath the liquid. Draco brought his hands together on the table and continued.

"Meet me down in the country." he announced. "Down at Flowing Fields where the big pine tree is. We'll probably be exhausted by the end of the day but I promise you, you will love this date!"

Astoria looked up from her glass and met his eyes with an interestingly emotionless stare. Draco was close to jumping in confusion as he was worried that he may have said something wrong.

"Tori?" he continued to look confused by her expression.

After a few seconds of silence, she took a breath and spoke.

"I haven't said 'yes' yet!"

Draco just stared at her, dumbfounded and attempting to figure out what to say next. Every time he opened his mouth, he found that the words he needed to say were not coming out.

"I'm just kidding around," Astoria stated. "Of course, I'll be there!"

He breathed a sigh of relief. "So...Thursday?" he managed.

"Thursday, it is."

* * *

**Phew! I'm exhausted and I can't believe I've managed to write eight chapters already! (Sighs) Thanks, guys for reading this and thanks again for your reviews!**


	8. First Date

"Oh, my goodness!" Daphne squealed as she burst through her sister's front door, uninvited. "Who would have thought?!"

"Whoa!" Astoria spun around. "What's up with you, sis?"

"Draco Malfoy! You're going out with Draco Malfoy!"

She froze. "Who on earth told you that?"

"Well, you see, a little bird told me that-"

"PANSY!"

It was Daphne's turn to freeze from Astoria's sudden answer. She should not have been surprised as rumours flew around like paper planes; Pansy was still obsessed with her ex-boyfriend, despite her occasional flings with a certain someone. Astoria could not bother guessing who that "certain someone" was, for once she felt that it was none of her business. Despite this apathy, she could not help but believe that those flings had occurred for the sake of getting back at the ex. A brief scoff entered her mind; Pansy's actions were far from sane.

"I'm guessing that you know it's Pansy." Daphne said.

"Who doesn't know it's Pansy?" the younger emphasised. "Besides, she still thinks she's going to marry and have babies with him!"

Daphne finally noticed the unfamiliar threads her sister wore and frowned. "I don't think I've seen you wear that before. When did you get it?"

"Last night."

"Last night?!" Daphne's frown turned into a large grin. "Oh, my goodness! You're going on a date, aren't you?"

"You just continue to make my day better, don't you?" The sarcasm intentionally wavered the conversation before an awkward silence followed.

"You look nice, Tori. You really do."

Astoria turned from the standing mirror to look at Daphne who was sitting on a nearby stool. "Thanks, Daph."

Even a truthful compliment would not be able to sway Astoria from her self-consciousness. She stared into the mirror again and blankly observed her appearance, noticing a few pimples on her left cheek. She had bought the black dress the night before for a reasonable price. The dress flowed down to her knees and a white lace tightly strapped around her waist made her look erudite. She wore her chain as usual even though she thought it did not look too good on her. Luckily the hair-waving charm was still as effective as ever and to top off her look, her stiletto heels were enough to bring wonder to even her own eyes. She blinked once, then twice and eyed the make-up kit next to her on her dressing table. Daphne noticed the look of concern in her eyes.

"What's wrong, Tori?"

"I don't want to wear make-up." Astoria said.

"Nobody's forcing you to, you look pretty good anyway."

"No, I don't."

"Yeah, you do!"

Astoria looked up at her nearby clock, her heart suddenly panicking by the second. She then jerked her head out to the window and noticed the sun starting to set.

"I'm leaving now."

Daphne rose from the stool and headed out the door. "Yeah, you know what? Me too." She stepped out of the flat and turned back one more time before slamming the door shut. "Bye, have a good date!"

Astoria rolled her eyes and then focused. She pictured the large tree in the middle of a vast, green field where he would be waiting for her. Taking a deep breath, she vanished from her flat into the clear image.

* * *

She was never the best at Apparating, but Astoria always tried whatever she could to not land on her face. Suddenly appearing at her destination, she hovered for a split second before landing softly on her back. As she was making sure she had arrived at the right place, she noticed the tall pine in the distance, and sighed in relief and satisfaction.

She had been to these fields before, but after feeling the green grass beneath her, a thought occurred to her that the grass was never as soft as what she was feeling at the present time. The last time she had been to Flowing Fields was when the long drought turned the grass into dry, scratchy straws and prickles. Noticing the vibrant greenness, she assumed that it must have rained recently, to the obliviousness of everybody who had been to the plains. She quietly giggled and relaxed on the comfortably soft surface, letting herself slowly shut her eyes. She could stay like this for such a long time that she thought she may as well use the grass as a bed, where she could just lie back and sleep for as long as she needed to, while the flowers blossomed to life during the warm spring and the beautiful breezes blew over the land like a...

"Tori?"

Of course, the sudden sound in the silence startled her from her beautiful imaginations, moving her to jump to her feet with a heart still beating wildly with fright. A half-disappointment lay within her as she would have liked to lie there a little longer.

"I'm really sorry!" Draco began. "I didn't mean to scare you!"

"No, it's fine. I mean, I was just lying there...I didn't know what the heck I was doing!" she gave a nervous chuckle to his grinning response.

"It looked like you were getting carried away."

Astoria blushed with even more embarrassment. "I know, what a terrible impression!"

Amazingly, a chuckle was released from Draco's lips; the fact that the expression was genuine caught Astoria off-guard. _Has anybody heard him laugh, let alone; smile for one whole second?_ She thought like as if she was conversing with herself.

"I must say, Astoria," Draco began. "You look rather exquisite this evening."

"Oh, you think so?" Modesty crept in her voice. Before she could say, "You too!", she noticed how informally Draco was dressed compared to her. He appeared to be wearing a casual attire much to her astonishment.

"I should have told you more about this but..." he paused. "Come over to the pine, I have something to show you."

Curiosity seemed like a figure that led her to follow the mysterious blonde toward the gigantic pine. As she passed the bright flowers, she could not help but glance at the beauty of the breeze pushing the delicate plants in the one direction. They were another reason why she had enjoyed coming to these fields. Nearing the pine, she could slowly make out the shapes of whatever it was that leaned against the tree, her excitement boiling upon realising what they were.

"No way!" Astoria exclaimed. "Is that...?"

"...the Nimbus Two Thousand and One." Draco finished in affirmation.

"Are they both yours?"

"The left one is. I loaned the other one, just for you."

She realised that this was no ordinary date. They were going to fly. She mentally hit herself in the head for not wearing pants and flat shoes instead.

"I thought you'd arrive in a dress," Draco said. "So that's why I brought a clean pair of Quidditch shorts as well."

"_You...are...a...genius!"_ Astoria thought, as well as feeling cautious about whether or not he was reading her mind.

"Here," Draco held out the shorts. "You can put them on behind the pine."

She momentarily froze before taking them. Walking over to the other side of the tree, she felt extremely wary that he might watch her dress into the shorts. _No, _she thought,_ he's such a gentleman. He would never do that. Would he?_ She jerked her shoulders in a shrug and immediately slipped them on, making sure that he was not looking. Luckily, he had his back turned to her. When she emerged from the tree, he turned with one hand in his pocket.

"Guess what I have in my hand!" Draco said.

Astoria nervously shrugged. "I've no idea!"

His hand shifted and pulled out a small, shiny object before laying it on his flat palm. It did not take long for Astoria to recognise an inactive Golden Snitch.

"A snitch!" she exclaimed in excitement.

"I put a spell on it so it won't fly beyond these fields," he said. "Get on your broom."

She obediently grabbed the broom that stood against the pine and straddled it, waiting for further instruction.

"I'll give you a head start; I'll throw it up in the air and you'll have to try and catch it."

Without further ado, the shining Snitch was expelled into the sun-setting atmosphere. As Astoria charged towards it, the object's glistening wings suddenly sprouted to life and raced away from her. Within moments the Snitch had already flown several feet in front of her, insisting her to direct the broom to fly faster. The Nimbus Two Thousand was incredibly faster than any broom she had ever ridden on, worrying her a little. She held her arm outstretched, attempting to grasp the gold while it was within her reach. Before her index finger was able to touch the Snitch, she heard a gust of wind that sounded like a _whoosh_. Turning her head over her shoulder, she noticed that Draco was already flying just yards behind her. She turned back to her front and noticed that the Snitch was no longer there.

Throwing her head left to right, she could not spot the Snitch anywhere. Before she came to a sudden halt, Draco zoomed past to her left. Knowing that he had found the Snitch, she followed suit. Her broom flew fast enough to join Draco's side and she finally spotted the eye-blinding object. The sun was on the verge of sinking into the distance, darkening everything around them. Despite the glooming sight, their excited emotions were getting the better of their actions. Although Astoria did not see Draco's wide smile, she could tell that the tone in his voice was overjoyed.

"I'm gonna catch it, Tori!"

"No, you're not!"

As they both attempted to rush ahead of each other, Draco was laughing. Actually laughing and cheering, brightening the atmosphere. It even came to a point when he absent-mindedly circled the air with ease. Astoria also laughed in absolute joy and could not contain herself, allowing herself to give out loud, echoing cheers.

"Whoohoo!"

"Yeah!"

Their cheerful emotions had distracted them from their initial aim to grab the Snitch before the other. The sake of flying was already enough to make their night a dream come true. The clean air that rushed through their hair and the last of the sunlight hitting their faces was absolute bliss. The tremendous height that lingered beneath their hanging feet no longer mattered to either of them. The relaxation that dawned on them unknowingly slowed the broom to a reasonable speed to the point where it felt like floating on calm clouds. The Snitch also seemed to be slowing down, almost having a mind on its own and not bothering to travel any faster.

Astoria drew a deep breath and raced after the Snitch once more. The action had also compelled Draco to fly after her. The Snitch seemed to fly higher and higher despite the fact that Astoria was closing in on it. She drew closer to touching it, and a high suspense was raised as she raised and stood on her broom with her right arm outstretched. By this stage, Draco broke into sweats of horrified concern.

"Tori, are you crazy!?" he shouted.

"I think I am!" she replied.

"But we're so far off the ground-!"

Without even a jolt of hesitation, she stepped onto the edge of the broom and took an amazing leap and caught the Snitch within her two palms. The unexpected presence of the knowledge of what she had just done hit her like a bludger, and she screamed as she fell. Before either of the couple could react, the Nimbus flew out of nowhere and caught her mid-fall. Her shock and loss of concentration steered her broom down on a dangerously steep gradient and her reaction came too late as she crashed onto the dirt ground below.

Draco panicked and froze for a split second before stifling out an "Oh, my gosh!". He gained control of himself and flew down fast enough for the wind to blind him. When he finally landed, he dropped his Nimbus and ran towards where Astoria lay.

"Astoria!"

He rushed and then came down to a kneel whilst trying to catch his breath. The helpless body lay on her side so that the back faced him. But what worried Draco the most was that not a single movement seemed to be occurring. Still frightened, he reached a shaking hand out but gently pulled her shoulder so that she lay on her back. He gasped.

Her eyes were closed, but her lips were curved into a smile. Her body then finally moved; she started to twitch before parting her lips for a slight giggle. That slight giggle was eventually followed by a burst of amused laughter. Draco froze in confusion yet he was able to join her by letting out a chuckle.

"Astoria?" Draco was still smiling. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she chortled. "That was so much fun!" (She almost sounded hysterical.)

"Yeah, it was."

* * *

As the last bit of sun disappeared, the couple peacefully sat on the highest branch of the pine. The stunning view consisted of the wide field sweeping over to the distance and a handful of stars becoming more and more visible in the vast sky. The sound of the nocturnal birds quietly sang as the light breeze passed over the plain. The breath-taking sight was what kept the two young adults from staring at each other. After the longest of pauses, Astoria spoke.

"It's so beautiful up here," she said.

"Yes, just like you." Draco's statement nearly threw her off the branch.

"What?"

"It's true."

She had heard many comments about her prettiness, but there were always a few other people whom would beat her in a beauty contest. She never wanted to be the most beautiful girl, yet Draco's compliments made her feel like a queen. A saddened thought fell over her, wondering if he liked any of her other attributes, apart from her physical appearance.

"Tell me something, Draco." she said.

"Like what?" he replied, confused.

"Anything."

"You mean, like a story...o-or a secret...?"

"Secrets?" she asked, becoming more curious by the second. "You have secrets?"

"No," he tried to deny.

"Tell me one! I'm sure it won't hurt!"

Draco opened his mouth to speak, then realising that the words he wanted to say did not come.

"I'm sorry," Astoria apologised. "That was rude of me. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to-!"

"Oh, no need to apologise!" Draco interrupted. "I...I want to tell you."

She leaned in closer and looked at him, trying to predict what he was about to say.

"You were always in my mind, Tori," he explained. "I can't say that I liked you when we first met at the station. I mean, I found you interesting, but that was just about it. And then we met again on the train just two years later. You thanked me for saving you, and I guess that was when I started to think of you more than just a family friend. In fact, I thought it was just a tiny crush, until you went out with Malcolm Sanford. I had never felt so jealous in my life."

"But weren't you going out with...?" Astoria began but could not bring herself to say the name.

"Yes, I was dating Parkinson at the time," he avoided using her first name. "But that was only because she was one of the only Pureblood girls I had known, and one that my family would approve of. Apart from that, I thought she was dreadful and could only tolerate her when her mouth was shut. But anyway, I found out about one of your planned secret dates in the Room of Requirement and I still have no idea what came over me. Outraged, I decided to sabotage it and pretend that I was innocently at the right place at the right time. And then...you yelled at me."

"Oh, yeah, I'm still sorry about that-"

"No, don't be! You were right to yell at me. In fact, I deserved it!"

Astoria was stunned. "I'm still surprised you still wanted to talk to me after that. I thought that I had soared on your hate list or something..."

"Hate?" Draco quietly said. "You thought that I hated you?" He shifted slightly on the branch. "I could never hate you, Astoria."

A beat after he had finished his sentence, a strong gust of wind ran through them, almost trying to throw them out of the pine. They both raised their arms over their tightly shut eyes and held on until the wind passed. They both let out sighs of relief and stunned silences. The atmosphere was now calm at this point and Draco involuntary broke the peace.

"I fell in love with you even more on that night."

Astoria blushed. "Even though I called you a monster?"

"Yes! I didn't know but it was just what I needed all along! You see, you don't know how annoying it is when just about every girl I know of falls at my feet. All of the Pureblood girls I had known were absolutely hopeless and I cringed from day to day knowing that I had to marry one of them. And then there was you; the first Pureblood girl to even criticise me! I mean, sure, it made me feel a bit bad, but I liked it. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"Uh...sort of..." Astoria was slightly confused by this. "So is that why...you like me?"

"No, not just that," he stumbled upon his words, trying to think of what to say next. "You're...you're beautiful."

"Is that all?" she wanted to say, but instead came up with a more thoughtful question. "Would you still like me if I had my face burnt off?"

"Hey, when I said 'beautiful', I didn't just refer to your looks. You're smart, caring, brave, strong, gentle..."

"Brave and strong?"

"Well, you're not that typical girl who would burst into tears on a weekly basis. And also, I'll have to mention this again; you stood up to me."

She gave a light, modest shrug, making Draco chuckle.

"But back to that other question, I'll still feel light-headed in your presence even if you had your face burnt off."

So he didn't just like her for her looks, Astoria thought. Upon realising that the two were actually sitting rather close to each other, Draco slowly moved his head towards hers. Astoria's instinct was also leading her to guide her face towards his, but there was a whining thought that jumped up and down in her mind.

_Kiss him, don't kiss him! Kiss him, don't kiss him!_

As his lips were about to close the gap between them, Astoria shifted her head and kissed him on the cheek. Draco froze, startled by her sudden move and touched his face like as if he had been struck by a slap. His cheek was starting to itch, provoking a smile across his lips. Astoria looked out into the sky and pulled out her pocket watch that was slowly deteriorating in her pocket.

"I have to go now, Draco," she whispered.

A sad feeling gradually swept over Draco as she carefully pulled off her Quidditch gear. He didn't want her to go so soon and wished that she could stay a little longer.

"Okay," he managed to stifle.

"Thanks for the date, Draco. I had a lot of fun."

"You're welcome."

She stood and balanced carefully on the branch. Her eyes then met with his for one peaceful moment before she whispered, "Bye." And with that, she disappeared into the thin air.

Draco sat, still looking at where Astoria's face would have been and wishing that she hadn't gone home yet. He let out a calm sigh that told himself that he was missing her already.

"Goodbye..."

**Wow! This is one hell of a long chapter I've written! Oh yeah, and sorry about the long delay, my exams are finally over! Now these updates shouldn't take as long as they did before (and my apologies again if that doesn't happen) and I never get sick of reading over the reviews so thanks to all of the past, present and future reviewers! **


	9. Home Is Where the Heart Is

When Astoria woke up, the sun was shining rather brightly through her window. She had forgotten to shut the curtains the night before, but she was too tired to do so anyway. Leaving her dress on and not bothering to pull back the bedsheets, she slumped onto her bed and fell asleep within a minute or so. She squinted beneath the unbelievable brightness and the clock melodically chimed nine o'clock. Perfect, she thought.

She wanted to get up, but her drowsiness refused her to even shift her legs. A loud knock on the door fluttered her eyes open and Astoria was glad for the noise. She leapt off her bed in a sudden loss of weariness and headed for the source of the sound. Turning the doorknob, a click was heard and an unexpected visitor was seen on the other side of the entrance.

"Hey!" Draco seemed more than out of character as he casually leaned his elbow on one side of the entrance in a cheerful smile.

"Draco," she said in surprise. "What brings you here-"

The question was immediately answered when he lifted up a pair of very familiar stiletto shoes. With a slight jerk to her head, Astoria looked down at her bare feet. It did not take long for her to remember that she had left her shoes at the base of the pine the evening before.

"Oh," was all she could manage within her embarrassment.

The shoes were then handed to her. As she reached to place them in the shoe cabinet, Draco stared at her clothes and chuckled.

"I couldn't help but notice that you're still wearing the same clothes from last night," he said.

"Yeah, I was...pretty exhausted when I got back," she said.

"And I'm guessing that you just woke up."

"Yep."

She was trying to hold back a laugh whilst she watched Draco, who was still leaning his arm on the door and his leg being placed behind the other. Seeing him in an obviously relaxed position made it hard for her to not stifle out a giggle, yet she somehow managed.

"Do you want to come in?" she asked in an attempt to take her mind off the comical view, only to suddenly realise what she had just said. Oh, crap, she thought.

"I'd love to," Draco replied.

He shifted out of his playful position and was led through the door. Before he could be blinded by the sheer brightness of the flat, Astoria drew the curtains in an instant.

"Make yourself at home," she said. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please," came the reply.

As she slipped into the kitchen, Draco sat comfortably onto the nearby sofa. It felt odd for him to be at someone else's place rather than at Malfoy Manor, but for once he didn't mind being in a tiny space within a cheap flat. There was a warm feel to her place that seemed to whisper the word _home_. Whilst he stared around the room, Astoria brought out a tray of tea and biscuits and placed it onto the coffee table. As she sat down next to him, she looked into the direction of where he was staring at.

"Is that the family portrait?" Draco asked curiously. There on the wall was a large moving portrait, showing the Greengrass family happily posing for a photograph. He assumed that Astoria was no older than twelve years old at the time it was taken.

"Yeah," she replied. "It was taken ages ago at Diagon Alley."

"I quite like it. It brings out a lot of life to your home."

"Oh, no way! Not in this pig sty!" Astoria gestured to the messes that seemed to accumulate within the flat.

"If that's the case, then I bloody well love this_ pig sty_. I mean, this flat feels like..." he paused. "...like how your home's meant to feel; relaxing, comfy and knowing that you don't want to live anywhere else in the world."

"But what about your manor?"

A sudden choke sent Draco spluttering on his tea. He set down the teacup in a swift move and coughed out the unreleased itch that lodged in his throat. Astoria raised her hand to pat him on the back only to drop it as he stopped as suddenly as he started.

"Are you alright, Draco?" she asked.

He gave a brief nod and deeply inhaled the soothing scent of his girlfriend's home. As he exhaled, he leaned forward and buried his face in his cold, pale hands.

"Draco..." Astoria began, knowing that he was not alright.

"I hate the Manor," he said, coldly. "I have to live there for the rest of my life, and it's hell. I haven't even slept properly in my own room since..."

Feeling the hesitation, Astoria asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head violently, looking though as if he were about to weep. His hands then moved to cover his mouth as he felt a wave of nausea washing over him. Anticipating the worst, Astoria quickly led him to the kitchen, then averting her eyes as he bent over the sink and erratically vomited into the silver basin. She turned to face him, only to jerk away as he poured more of his stomach's contents more violently than ever before.

He breathed heavily as he turned on the water that rushed out of the tap. The mess slowly washed away down the sink while he cupped the water in his hands to rinse the sour taste out of his mouth, then finally wiping his mouth dry.

Astoria slowly walked towards the back of him. She hesitantly but gently placed her hand on his shoulder which seemed to calm his shudders. He slightly rose his head and stared deeply into her eyes, in silence and in a still expression. The mystery between the two closed when his palm took her cheek and he softly placed his lips over hers in a gentle kiss. Astoria did not resist, yet she did not quite melt to this touch. He released her lips from his but still lovingly held her face in his hand.

He turned his body fully to face hers, slightly towering over Astoria's height. He continued to stare into her glistening eyes, not sure of what to do and wondering if she too, enjoyed the warmth of the moment.

"Astoria..." he wanted to say, but found that the words did not come as expected.

"Draco," Astoria finally whispered. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

Draco fell silent. He wanted to say "Not now," or "I'll tell you later," or repeat his "I don't know." Instead, he simply shrugged.

"It's fine if you don't want to talk about it," she said. "But I want you to know that if you need anyone to talk to or if you need any help, I'll always be here for you."

His heart warmed on the last sentence. He had been followed and even stalked by many of his once obsessive friends, but he could not remember anybody who had given him their love and true support. As his insides felt lighter, his eyes were welling up but he did not shed a tear.

"Thank you, Astoria," he whispered. "Thank you."

She placed her hands on either side of his shoulders and planted a soft kiss on his lips. Draco's breathing deepened as he wrapped his arms around her and flattened his hands on her back. Their smoothly shut eyes brought a temporary peace among them. Astoria slightly tensed while Draco sought refuge in her safe, soft yet passionate lips.

He was once asked a simple question of "If you could be anywhere, where would you be?". It was discovered that the question was more complicated than he had realised, so he did not bother to reply. Flashing back to that particular memory, he realised that the answer was right in front of him.

In his head he said the word_ safe_, and then he said her name.

_Astoria._

* * *

**What did you think of this chapter? Weird? Cool? Sweet? Stupid? Say whatever you like while you're reviewing this as long as it's the truth. Thank you guys so much for reading!**


	10. Dinner With The Malfoys

Winter arrived like an unexpected visitor. Just a few months after Draco's first visit to her home, Astoria noticed the sheets of snow that were forming over the city's rooftops. Icicles were frozen on many edges and children were happily creating messes or works of art among the snow-filled ground. The couple's love for the cold temperature was found to be another thing they had in common.

Along a stone path within a quiet street, the duo walked arm-in-arm. Draco seemed to pale more than ever as he knew that he would not enjoy this particular evening. He did not mind that Astoria was coming to dinner to meet his parents, as he was more concerned that the event was going to happen in Malfoy Manor. He shuddered at the horrifying memories that seemed to mark the house with invisible bloodstains.

"Are you sure about this, Tori?" he asked.

Resting her head on his shoulder, Astoria said, "Yes, Draco."

Feeling relieved, he lay his head on hers. He had told her everything about that dark day in the manor. Trusting her with his story, he tried his best to not miss a single detail about that event. As hard as he tried, Draco could not sway the strong-hearted woman from going to a hell-house.

Nearing the harsh iron gates, he slowed and came to a stop. The two stared as the gates creaked and eerily swung open, mesmerised by the effect it had on them. Astoria rose her head off his shoulder and stared at his wide-eyed expression. Sliding her hand down his arm, she took his wrist and led him though the gates, that then slowly clanged to a shut.

She released his hand but then cupped Draco's face with both hands. There was a certain gloom to the surroundings whilst she stared into chilly eyes that did not stare back. Astoria wondered whether he was even aware of her touch.

"Draco," she said gently. "Draco, look at me."

The pair of abnormally still eyes dropped to meet her sight. He finally blinked after what seemed like an eternity of widely opened eyes. He sighed and relaxed his frozen posture, levelling to match her height.

"Don't be scared," Astoria assured.

"I'm not scared," Draco lied.

She did not bother to argue but instead, offered her support. "No matter what, we're in this together, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good." She kissed him on the forehead.

They barely passed the pebbled path when Draco knocked on the door. He felt like a stranger to his own home the instant he did so. Together they did not wait for long in the not-too-welcoming atmosphere. In a brief moment, they saw the refraction of a figure walking behind the stained glass door. The door opened with a click and a pale woman appeared, eyeing the two like strange creatures.

Her expression quickly changed into one of an excited mother. "Drake! Astoria!" she exclaimed, wrapping each arm around the couple but edging towards Astoria when she released them.

"My goodness, you've become more beautiful by the moment!" she complimented in adoration, gently pinching Astoria's cheek.

"Thank you," Astoria replied modestly. "But you look lovely, Mrs Malfoy."

"Oh, you're a polite one, aren't you?" Narcissa chuckled, gesturing for the two to come in and escape from the cold.

Narcissa closed the door while Draco hung his coat on the nearby polished wooden hanger. He sauntered towards Astoria, intending to help her take her coat off. When he arrived next to her, she seemed to be admiring the beauties of the manor. She, however, looked wherever her sights would let her look as the manor held a sense of familiarity that rooted her to the one spot. _ I know this place,_ she thought.

Then she remembered, she was just a young girl, probably around the age of four or five. She recalled her family arriving at a beautiful home, with glimmering chandeliers, shining timber and outstanding furniture. Narcissa welcomed her mother, her long-time friend just like when they reunited at King's Cross during Daphne's first day at the station.

Upon arriving into the dining room, they were greeted by a formally dressed Lucius Malfoy. He too, welcomed Elizabeth as a good friend and seemed to admire Daphne's assertive posture and healthy appearance. He probably thought she would make a good wife for Draco, Astoria thought. He then looked down at Astoria, like a weakling that was about to crumble to the floor at any second. His intimidating stare led her to hide behind her mother.

Struggling to recall anything else, she subconsciously let Draco slide off her coat. As he neatly hung the coat on the hooks, footsteps were heard from above them. He returned to Astoria's side and they both watched the grand staircase in front of them. Appearing at the top of the stairs was a tall, cold-faced man wearing long, black robes. Astoria knew that he did not disgust her anymore, but somehow that did not stop her from gaining chills down her spine.

"Astoria Greengrass!" Lucius boomed with arms outstretched. "How wonderful to see you again!"

His capriciousness nearly had the effect to blow Astoria's mind. "Malfoys! So unpredictable!" she wanted to scoff. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Lucius smiled and patted her on the shoulder.

"Let's not dawdle around here," Lucius glanced at his wife, then his son. "Let's all head to the dining room, shall we?"

House elves came in and out of the room with platters and plates while the four engaged in entertaining conversations. All had to refrain their mouths from watering every time the scent of the food filled their nostrils. The food came and went from the dinner table like the laughter that echoed and then silenced the room; the occasion reminded everyone of Hogwarts.

Astoria downed her final glass of Butterbeer before she felt the need to excuse herself. After asking Narcissa, she was gestured to the nearby bathroom.

"Just past the grand staircase," Narcissa directed. "Then past the drawing room, and then you turn left."

The heeled boots clopped against the marble floor whilst Astoria marched towards the bathroom. Upon locking the door, she turned to discover another bizarrely extravagant sight. The gold towel racks and clear marble walls and tiles made the dining room look like any other ordinary room. After spending a few minutes, she reappeared at the door, still stunned at the bathroom's breathtaking design.

Just as she stepped onto one of the many hallways of the mansion, an eerie silence fell upon her surroundings. Nearly frightened by this presence, she half-rushed past door after door until her energy wore out. She panted and looked up, only to swear under her breath upon realising she had gone the wrong way.

In the midst of all this confusion, she recalled Narcissa and the mentioning of a drawing room. Shifting her eyes ahead, she noticed a set of double-doors located at the wall ahead. That must be it, she thought.

Her legs crept quietly yet intensely along the plush carpet and she shivered. She felt like an ant upon standing in front of the grand doors. She reached for one of the shining door handles when a hand suddenly clasped hers in a jolt. Gasping and on the verge of screaming, she calmed when she recognised Draco's cold, yet youthful hands.

"Sorry," he said, guiltily. "I scared you, didn't I?"

Astoria nodded and momentarily smiled, not long before fading it. "What are you doing here?" she asked, trying not to give away her suspicion.

"You took your time. I thought you were lost or something."

"It's only been a few minutes," she stated upon inspecting her pocket watch. "Let's go back."

She reached for the handle again, expecting Draco to react. He did; he grabbed her hand in a panic.

"Let's go this way, darl. We'll get there quicker." He dragged her a few feet away from the doors. He staggered as she pulled her hand away from his and shot him a hard stare.

"What is the matter with you?"

"Nothing!" Draco answered too quickly.

"Draco," her anger was starting to boil. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

He froze. A hundred lies rushed into his mind at once, but he could not choose which one to say. His reaction was too slow when Astoria made a sudden move to the doors. There came a loud click and she flung the doors open with all of her strength.

Aside from the sound of Draco rushing to her side, another odd silence seemed to have stalked her presence. In front of her eyes, was a room she had never seen before. It was definitely not another one of the Malfoys' luxurious rooms with neatly placed furniture and golden decorations.

The air around the two cooled dramatically. They had just entered a room of broken glass, slashed cushions and sofas, destroyed tables and a flickering chandelier. Whilst she took in every detail of what she was seeing, Draco could have sworn he saw bloodstains appearing then disappearing on the carpet. Neither of them could help it- they shuddered beneath their clothes.

"This is..." Draco hesitated. "...the drawing room."

"What happened?" Astoria asked, her voice breaking.

He sighed, but immediately proceeded to tell the tragic tale. He began from the day he was recruited to become one of the dreadful Death Eaters. Despite loving his new-found job at first, he then told Astoria about his breakdown in the girls' lavatory during his sixth year at Hogwarts. Not a single bit of detail was missed during his confessions, especially when he finally reached the horrifying conclusion at Malfoy Manor.

When he finished, Astoria carefully strode over shattered glass then halted in front of a mirror stand. Glancing around once more, she noticed that it was the only unbroken object in the room. Draco followed closely, hovering behind her in the mirror's reflection. He rested his head on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist as they both eyed the mirror.

"I really am sorry, Astoria," he finally spoke.

"I know you are," she said. "I love you, Draco."

Draco was flattered yet his heart broke at the same time. He shook his head, trying not to let tears fall out of his eyes.

"Don't love me, Astoria. Don't..."

Astoria rose her hands and held his embrace, then she said, "I love you for what you are, Draco; not for what you've done."

She turned herself around, clutching herself to his chest. Draco no longer felt the urge to cry but he finally felt the need to say what he had bottled up for a long time.

"I love you too."

They both sighed simultaneously with relief and calm joy. Astoria then reached up to kiss him on the forehead. They both stared into each other's eyes and smiled.

"We should be heading back," Astoria said. "I think we've disappeared for long enough now."


	11. I do

Nearly a year to the day after her first date with Draco, Astoria sat alone in an unoccupied yet accommodating tent. All that remained in the space was a vanity desk, with accessories scattered around the outside of the fancy drawers. She peered into the mirror in front of her and observed her silky, strapless white dress and then her hair that was neatly styled into a chignon.

"I'm getting married," she muttered to herself.

She tried to conclude to why her heart was pounding so violently beneath her chest. Under the belief that she was not nervous, Astoria did not realise that her nerves were straining under her skin. Her emotions were relieved as soon as Tallulah crawled into the tent.

"Hey," she greeted. "You look great!"

Lost for words, all Astoria could manage was a quiet, "Uh..."

"Come on, Tori, it's time. Everyone's waiting for you."

"Oh, I'm not late am I?"

"No, of course not," Tallulah assured. "Well, Daphne's getting a little impatient. She is dying to see you in that dress."

Typical of Daphne, Astoria thought. Giving out a final sigh, she stood from her wooden stool. As Tallulah led her best friend out into the gardens of Malfoy Manor, an audience awaited for her arrival.

_

* * *

_

A beautiful night was showing itself to the balcony outside Astoria's room. Dressed only in her nightgown, her bare feet were starting to freeze on the wood below. She would have prepared herself if she had known Draco was dropping by.

_He too, was standing on the balcony and smelling the night's fresh scent. The city's lights flickered throughout the view. This calmed him down a little. Deep inside his nearly emotionless exterior, he was shaking like a furless animal struggling through winter._

"_I loved you for so long, Astoria," he said, taking her hand. "And our relationship does nothing but make everything better."_

"_Yeah," she agreed. "It's been great." She felt guilty for not saying any more._

"_And I know it's been less than a year, and it's alright if you're not ready for this," Draco then pulled out a small box and flipped it open. "But I'm asking you to marry me."_

_Looking down at the violet gem topping the gold ring, she could not hide her shock and excitement. Without breaking eye contact, he downed onto one knee with the box still sitting neatly on his palm. He took in a breath to calm his quivering insides._

"_Astoria," he breathed out. "Will you marry me?"_

"_Yes!" she exclaimed, covering her mouth with both hands._

_Astoria held back her cries of joy while Draco slid the glistening ring onto her finger. As soon as he stood back up, she immediately threw her arms around him. He caught her embrace and a euphoric cheer squad instantly set off in his mind._

"_Thank goodness," he sighed._

"_Do your parents know?"_

"_Yep. And your parents too."_

"_You told them?" she said. "When?"_

"_Just before I came here, actually. They knew that you were going to say yes."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yeah. In fact, they said that they were glad to have me as a son-in-law."_

_She looked at him in surprise. Draco held back a laugh only for him to burst out in amusement a second later. Astoria could not help it either and joined him in the moment of laughter. She eventually managed to hold back long enough to speak._

"_We're getting married!" Astoria cheered, and Draco grabbed her face, and they kissed each other as hard as they could._

* * *

The audience of guests stood to see the glamorous bride stride down the aisle. All eyes were either on her, or on her sobbing mother who was whispering repetitively (in an almost comical manner), "My baby..." The splendid image of a pure bride finally reached the front of the ceremony, thus meeting the smiling groom in a flawless suit.

Metres of white cloths hung along the back of each of the seats and often ended at vases that were overcrowded with flowers. Not a single guest had the wrong mind to turn up in a casual or inappropriate attire.

After everybody was seated, not a single ear bothered to hear whatever the minister had to say about the unification. Nothing could distract their sights away from the bride and groom, except for their relief of not seeing Pansy Parkinson seated among the audience.

Astoria shyly stared onto the ground, knowing that she had to share her vows in the next upcoming moments. She glanced down at the bouquet of flowers that were calmly clenched between her hands. Finally the minister faced Draco with a look that resembled cheerful pride.

"Do you, Draco Malfoy," he spoke. "Take Astoria Greengrass to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Staring deep into Astoria's eyes, Draco replied, "I do."

"And do you," the minister faced the bride. "Astoria Greengrass, take Draco Malfoy to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do you part?"

Smiling for the first time in the ceremony, she did not hesitate to say, "I do."

Someone cheered "Yeah!" within the audience, before the couple laughed and looked at an excited Theodore Nott seated near the back. Anticipating the next part of the ceremony, several other friends and relatives were whooping and chuckling to themselves.

"You may kiss the bride," the minister said.

As Draco began to slowly lean his head towards her, Astoria trusted her temptation and leapt onto him, kissing her husband whilst he was still wide-eyed from her leap. This erupted a large chorus of cheers and everyone jumped out of their seats in congratulations. The couple faced the crowd as the crowd applauded and the photographers flashed their cameras like they were photographing celebrities.

"Throw the bouquet!" Tallulah yelled.

As the noise quietened, Astoria turned her back to the guests, preparing for a backwards throw. Mentally counting to three, with all her strength, she hurled the flowers in the air towards the audience. When she turned back around she was just able to notice Anna reaching her arms out and catching the bouquet, sending out another round of applause.

After a brief minute of signing the marriage certificates, Astoria rushed to reunite with her best friends in the middle of the garden. Tallulah and Anna invited her in their group hug and loud squeals of joy. All three women felt the need to jump up and down aimlessly and babble without properly thinking about what they were saying.

"I am so proud of you, Tori!" Tallulah exploded.

Although excited, Anna was the least extravagant out of the trio. "I hope you'll have a great marriage," she said.

"Oh, I will, Anna!" Astoria replied with a strong confidence.

In the midst of her two friends shouting mindlessly, Astoria blinked up at the altar, to see her husband stare back at his bride. He was focusing on her despite being in a conversation with Theodore, Marcus Flint and Claude, his most recent friend. She gave him a look that tried to say, "Have you been staring at me all this time?"

His cheekily growing grin gave it away.


	12. Scorpius Malfoy

**Well... I guess this is my first fanfic finished. (Yay!) It's been a long journey for me to write a rather long series, but don't worry... I'll be back with more stories! I might write a fanfic on Watchmen, perhaps Pan's Labyrinth or maybe something on Heroes (or I could write more Harry Potter fanfics!). But for now, I think I'll take a break...**

* * *

Some time after the wedding, Draco woke to a fine morning when the sun had just shone through the pale curtains. Sitting up against his pillow, he turned to his wife who was sleeping rather peacefully with her head resting next to her youthful hands. He lightly kissed her on the cheek before patting her already expanding belly. He chuckled when he felt a gentle kick respond to his movements.

The baby will be due at any time now, he thought. The thrill that lived in his heart also housed an ongoing emotion of agitation. Leaving his wife for work nearly every day was the main source of his growing guilt. Of all the recent times when he looked at her, he wanted to cry. Not in sadness, but in a desperate self-frustration.

Not having the appetite for a deliciously warm breakfast, he slipped into his business attire. As usual, he checked the mirror to make sure he looked presentable for a long day's work. Astoria slightly shifted in her sleep, prompting Draco to creep out of the room as quietly as he could.

He did not bother to shut the door but rather left it slightly ajar. Entering the hallway, he still cautiously made his way as the sound of his steps created tiny echoes that travelled throughout the home. Upon reaching the end of the corridor, he was startled by a brief yelp followed by what sounded like a bump.

Draco whipped his head behind him like an alarmed animal and immediately bolted back down the hallway. Storming into the master bedroom, he found his wife curled up on the floor with a face of weeping excruciation.

"Honey!" he exclaimed while rushing to kneel by her side.

"Draco," Astoria cried. "It's here."

He jumped up onto his feet in a sudden moment of panic. "Oh no! Oh no!" was all his mind had contained. His mindless reactions were already starting to ignite Astoria's painful impatience.

"Draco!"

That shout alone let his mind click back to sanity. Finally remembering what he was supposed to do, he assured her before bursting out of the room. He ran like a child in distress and started to call for his mother.

"Mother! Mother!" he shouted, and found her awake in her bed much to his relief.

Not needing to be told anything, Narcissa leapt out of her relaxed position. She motioned for Draco to contact the healers at the nearby fireplace and rushed to her daughter-in-law's aid.

Draco drew out his wand and flicked towards the glowing firewood. In an instant, a woman's face appeared in the crackling flames. Her eyes momentarily recognised his as the eyes of her patient's spouse.

"Mornin' Mr Malfoy," she greeted casually.

"I need you at my home," Draco quickly said. "My wife is giving birth!"

"Okay, I'll be right there."

The woman's face disappeared as soon as the fire gradually died down. A distant crack was heard and Draco knew that the healer had just arrived. Coming out of his parents' bedroom, he made his way back to the hallway. Before he could reunite with the pained yells of his wife, the healer appeared at the door, blocking his way.

"I'm sorry, Mr Malfoy," she said. "You have to stay out here."

About to object, Draco heard another scream coming from inside the room. Astoria was calling for him despite being comforted by his mother.

"Draco!" she screamed.

He choked on a panicked stutter only to be calmed by the healer who tried to assure him that all would be well.

"But she's calling for me!" Draco objected.

"She's meant to," she replied. "Don't worry, I'll be back with good news." And she abandoned him by shutting the door.

Cries of pain filled his ears, torturing his mind. All Draco could do was stand and rest his forehead against the cold wall, wishing that he had never impregnated his dearly beloved. His attempt to keep a brave face only made him look like he was being burned alive, inside and out. Trapped in an inferno of torture and self-blame, he felt more than tempted to punch the wall he leaned on.

Her shrieks of "Draco!" were now becoming louder and more desperate than ever. Scared to the bottom of his wits, he shuddered and wished this moment to be a complete nightmare.

Just as he thought he would collapse from being mentally and emotionally drained, he heard another cry. For a brief second he thought it was his wife, but the pitch had somehow changed. All was silent as he froze in suspense.

The door clicked open. The healer appeared with sweat forming on her forehead and a shortness of breath. The blood on her gloves would have concerned Draco if not for her exhausted but triumphant smile. A wave of relief swept over him, nearly knocking him to his knees.

"You can come in now, sir," she breathed.

Resisting from charging into his room, Draco casually slipped past the healer. He stopped merely metres away from the entrance and observed his wife lying in bed. Her eyes were closed but Astoria was beginning to catch her breath.

"She's just tired," the healer reassured, patting Draco on the shoulder. "She'll come around shortly."

A wail twitched Draco's face away from her. He then noticed a bundle being held and hushed by his adoring mother. Stepping in for a closer look, he saw a baby sleeping peacefully within a pale red blanket.

"Girl?" he asked.

"No," Narcissa replied. "It's a boy."

She carefully handed the baby to Draco who then sat beside the bed. Followed by the healer, Narcissa decided to leave the three alone. Draco barely noticed their disappearance as he stared down at his newborn son. Astoria shifted slightly and opened her eyes to her smiling husband.

"He's beautiful," he said.

Then in unison the couple said, "Just like you." They paused in confusion before letting out their amusement at their simultaneous thoughts.

"So," Astoria said. "What are we going to name him?"

Draco had to be honest. "I don't know," he said. "I haven't really thought too much about it. What names do you like, Tori?"

"Well, I've only thought about girl names."

He snickered in agreement. "I thought it was going to be a girl too."

"If that were the case I would have named her Demetra, after my father."

"That would have been nice," Draco said.

The couple thought hard within the calm silence. Draco gently placed the baby into his wife's arms and watched her observe its tiny movements. He sighed and jogged through every memory he could think of for inspiration.

He most certainly knew not to name his son after his former friends and Death Eaters. And naming his son after Lucius was completely out of the question. Trying to recall someone or something worthy to name the baby after was more frustrating than Draco had originally thought. But then he found it.

"I remember one time," he said while staring up at the ceiling, "when I was five, I felt so alone. And I was jealous of nearly everyone else who had a brother or a sister playing alongside them." He paused. "But then I thought; if I were to have a younger brother, I wanted to call him 'Scorpion.'

He then chuckled to himself. "I know, it sounds silly."

"Well, I think that's adorable," admitted Astoria. "But I'm not completely keen on naming him Scorpion."

Draco interrupted by clicking his fingers. "I got it!" he exclaimed, nearly waking up the baby. "What do you think of Scorpius?"

"Draco," she managed and held his face with both hands and said, "you are an absolute genius!"

He leaned over and gave her lips a long smooch. The baby let out a quiet wail and Draco looked down into its now open eyes. He would have chuckled in adoration, but Astoria noticed a different mood as tears streamed down Draco's cheeks.

"Draco?" she whispered, placing a hand on his cheek.

"We're gonna make great parents, Tori," his voice cracked. "I won't raise him like my family had raised me."

"There, there, Drake," Astoria consoled. "We _will_ make great parents and Scorpius will grow up to be a terrific young man. You hear me?"

He nodded. "I just...don't want to mess up."

As she embraced her husband, his tears dried and he calmed. During the long silence that followed, they broke apart to find Narcissa standing next to Lucius in the doorway.

"Hello, Father," Draco said in surprise. "You're back."

"Yes," Lucius replied. "You're mother told me the good news, so I thought I should come down from work and see the little chap."

"Scorpius."

"Pardon?"

"We named him Scorpius."

"Unusual name," Lucius remarked. Before Draco could shoot his father a glare, Lucius smiled and said, "I quite like that."

The four spoke quietly amongst themselves, except for Narcissa who tried hard to contain her excitement. The conversations often brought out how the baby strongly resembled his own father. Lucius somehow deemed it appropriate to ask how Draco would cope when Scorpius grew to become a teenager.

"Don't worry," he replied, staring at the ceiling like as if he could see into the future. "I'll be ready for that."

* * *

**The End**


End file.
